Singapore military adopts iPad 2

Apple Inc.'s iPad 2 tablet may serve yet another unusual purpose, as Singapore's defense ministry plans to issue the sleek gadgets to military recruits starting this November, a Singapore newspaper reported. Singapore's Straits Times said that the gadget is envisioned to sharpen the fighting skills of recruits doing Basic Military Training (BMT). It quoted the Defence Ministry as saying the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) plans to issue about 8,000 sets, including to every recruit in the BMT Centre and those in other institutes such as the Officer Cadet School and the Specialist Cadet School, as well as to servicemen in the air force and naval training schools. Gadget blog Electronista added that the Ministry also plans to issue the device to others serving in the military by 2012. It quoted defense chief Neo Kian Hong as saying they plan to "harness our advantage of today's technologically savvy servicemen" by "exploiting the use of popular and current information and communications technology." The Electronista report said that recruits can be trained to use the iPad 2's camera to send photos and videos to SAF's LEARNet online platform to share intelligence and for post-mission assessments. It can also be used for group chats and live messages to commanders or other units in the field. Under Singapore law, able-bodied male citizens aged 18 and above must undergo a two-year military training. — TJD, GMA News